The Mother of the Vermilion Bird
by danderedreamer
Summary: In Earth-121F, Superman finds out about the murder he inadvertently played a part in. As a result he becomes the godfather of the deceased vigilante's unborn child. Oneshot. [Part of Earth-121F Series; Child of the White Tiger Side Series]
1. Chapter 1

**July 5, 5:15 p.m. JST – Japan; Honshu; Kanto region; Taito Prefecture; Taito**

It's raining. Clark Kent, currently in his guise as Superman, unconsciously decreases his speed as he approaches the Yanaka district. The thought that he might have lived his life without knowing the consequences of his actions, it's hard to swallow.

He thinks back to when he came to Japan two weeks ago. The trip was brought up through a misplaced bout of nostalgia, what with how he had been an exchange student at Waseda University for a semester that ended tragically all those years ago… but that was neither here nor there.

With his return to Japan, he hears of the feud between the rival crime families in Tokyo that result in the deaths of civilians. He learns of the married vigilantes, of Gunshin the "Military God" who has control over gravity, of his wife Byakko "the White Tiger of the West" who can ghost through walls, can slip her hands into Clark's chest and grip his heart without much effort. He knows of how they play the roles of judges, jury, and executioners in response to the criminals. He tries to compromise, to get them to stop their vendetta, to instead find peace through bloodless means, perhaps through the Justice League.

They refuse his offer, he actually has bruises to show for it. They tell him of the crimes committed, of dozens of innocents slaughtered as a result of inaction. They tell him of Gunshin's mother, of how she was taken from them. They tell him to stay out of it. " _Choujin_ has no place in this matter."

He learns of what became of his former friend Tokai, Sakki as he now calls himself. He learns of how he perfected his pyrokinesis, the heat capable of burning Clark's skin. He sees how he lends his services to the head of one family, Kojiro, and how he slaughters anyone who gets in his way.

He interferes with a fight, is nearly brought down by Sakki. Byakko saves him.

He asks Gunshin to spare Sakki, tells him that he is his responsibility. He owes Gunshin a blood debt.

He helps to bring the feud to a halt, the crime families are brought to justice. Sakki escapes.

He searches for Sakki but he is too late, Gunshin is dead and a lonely Byakko mourns in silence.

* * *

 **July 5, 5:17 p.m. JST – Japan; Honshu; Kanto region; Taito Prefecture; Taito; Yanaka District; Yanaka Cemetery**

Clark touches down just outside Yanaka Cemetery, the black band around his upper left arm suddenly weighs him down.

He looks ahead to see a woman's back, the last vestiges of dark brown bleed out of her hair leaving startling white in its place and denying him her true form. She faces him with startling blue eyes not unlike his own, but they've lost their vibrancy. She is dressed in the traditional funerary garb: a five-crested plain black silk kimono, black obi worn over white undergarments, black zori sandals and white tabi split-toe socks. That alone does not change her, rather, the exhaustion in her visage, her stark white skin managing to look sickly, Clark can barely recognize her.

She stands straight. " _Choujin_." The rain makes it hard to discern if she has any tears. Her voice, while subdued, is easily heard in the empty cemetery. "I did not know that you became aware of what had happened."

Clark bows his head in remorse. "I almost wouldn't have known if I hadn't met Sakki again before I lost track of him. Were you ever going to tell me?" He raises his head, blue meets blue. He doesn't get a response. He continues on. "This was my fault, and I know that this won't bring him back, but for what it's worth… I truly am sorry." He bows his body at the waist, his torso parallel to the ground.

Byakko appraises him for a moment, says nothing. Just as Clark begins to feel dejected, he sees the tension leave her shoulders and she calls out to him. "Come, stand with me."

He quickly does as asked, aware of her eyes on him, but also aware of the lack of righteous anger. He isn't sure of how long they stand under the rain. He looks upon the family tombstone engraved with the name 佐藤, it is taller than him. He finally breaks the silence. "Your family name is Satou."

"…Yes. Satou belonged to his mother, he never knew his father." She licks her lips and takes a breath. "Masuyo had raised him in Oshidomari, in Rishirifuji on Rishi Island with the help of her sister Bunko. My husband loved her dearly, always willing to do anything she asked. She wanted to come to Tokyo for her birthday, she wanted to view the gardens in Shinjuku Gyoen. She never got the chance because of the feud. That's why we had her buried here, so that she would always be near flowers." She grows quiet for a moment. Clark thinks of his own mother, the quiet fear for her always in the back of his mind. "When she was taken from us he renounced his humanity and took the name Gunshin."

"He thought himself a god." Clark winces, knowing that his intention may have come out wrong.

To his credit, he only got a hum from Byakko. "Gods do not have to deal with the troubles of man." She looks at him from the corner of her eyes. "You should be familiar with that."

"I'm not a god."

"That you can still make that distinction says a lot about your character, Choujin."

"What was his name?" He can read it clearly in front of him, 正, but he knew it meant more for her to say it.

"His name…" her voice cracks slightly, she swallows. "He was born with the name Masa." She stands a bit taller, as if relieved that she can finally speak his name after so long.

 _Correct and just, yes that fit him perfectly._ "…What about you?"

Byakko regains her composure, a smirk on her lips. "What about me?"

Clark holds back the sudden urge to roll his eyes. "Did you have a name before Byakko?"

"I did. Although in my new identity I did not truly renounce my humanity," she stares at the engraving, an odd look in her eyes. "I did it to support my husband. I was born with the name Chiyome."

"Chiyome." _Eternal woman? Wait…_ "Like Chiyome Mochizuki, the first female ninja?"

That actually gets him a small smile. "Not everyone knows that."

He smiles in turn. "I studied Japanese history in college. My interest is what led to my being an exchange student at Waseda for a semester." He frowns toward the end, the memory of blazing fire invading his thoughts. Thankfully Chiyome doesn't pry, doesn't even ask for his own name.

They continue to stand in silence, until the sun begins to set and the rain finally stops.

"With his passing, the blood debt falls to me to carry out."

Clark feels himself tense. "I won't compromise my morals."

Chiyome is quick to appease him. "I would not ask for something like that."

He relaxes, just slightly. "Then I will do my best to pay the debt."

She appraises him once again, nodding at something she discerns for herself. "He left me with child."

That shocks him. "You're pregnant?"

"Yes, I am about two months along…" She smiles cautiously as she raises a hand to her abdomen and Clark forcibly pushes down the urge to use his x-ray vision. "We… my husband and I have angered many people in our quest to carry out justice. I fear for the future of this child, Choujin." She turns to him, fully looks him in the eyes. "Please look after them."

He's flabbergasted. "Pardon?"

She smiles fully. "I name you my child's godfather."

He reaches a hand up to scratch his cheek. "Well, I'm not a Buddhist."

Chiyome barely resists the urge to roll her eyes which makes him crack a smile. She waves away his reasoning. "The title is symbolic. I am asking that in the event that I cannot look after my child that you please make sure that they are safe, that they will be taken care of." She becomes serious once again. "I am trusting you with the life of my child. If you can do this for me then you can consider yourself forgiven and your debt will be paid."

Clark grows silent, he looks at her. He thinks of the responsibility of possibly having to raise a child if need be. Then he thinks of his own parents, both human and Kryptonian. Finally he looks at her abdomen once again. He hears a pulse, it's small but strong. It's not difficult for him to come to a conclusion, he hopes he's choosing the right one. "Okay." He swallows. "Okay, Chiyome, I will be your child's godfather."

Her smile returns and so does his, a tentative friendship is formed. They stand in silence once again as the sun disappears over the horizon.


	2. Chapter 2

**October 5, 8:02 a.m. JST – Japan; Hokkaido; Rishiri District; Rishirifuji; Oshidomari; Satou Compound; Satou Household**

Clark quietly touches down behind a fairly western-styled house farthest from the entrance to the compound. He switches to his civilian attire and adjusts his glasses, the last of the boxes in the crook of his arm. He's happy that Chiyome finally agreed to move into a proper home rather than switching between safe houses in Tokyo. "There we go. I didn't miss anything did I?" He turns to Chiyome who keeps a hand on her rather large baby bump.

He still can't get over how different she looks. Just as he was comfortable to tell her his civilian identity after a couple of months, she too did the same forgoing the white hair and matching skin tone. Clark thinks that it primarily has to do with her metahuman form taking too much energy to maintain while pregnant though, rather than doing so as a form of trust.

Chiyome has dark brown hair that grew just long enough to brush her shoulders, she always keeps half of it tucked behind an ear. Her skin has a healthy tan which made her blue eyes much more vibrant. She has long ditched her more battle-ready attire in favor of maternity leggings and pullover hoodies.

She holds back the urge to roll her eyes. She already told him long ago that he doesn't have to do anything outside of making sure her child is cared for if she is unable to do so, but the man insists on taking his duties as godfather seriously. Whatever duties he thinks he has she has no idea, but she can't deny that she found his gestures to be endearing. "No I am sure that that was everything, Choujin."

"It's been a month already, just call me Clark, especially when I'm in my civilian clothes." He adjusts his glasses again for emphasis.

Her similar blue eyes look mischievous, she smirks. "How anyone is fooled by such a disguise I will never know, _Clark_."

He snorts at the haughtiness of her statement and grins triumphantly. "My glasses dull the color of my eyes enough that they don't attract attention. You should probably invest in a pair yourself, _Chiyome_." It's her turn to snort, he grins. "Besides, that's sort of the point. It's too obvious a disguise that no one would ever believe I'm really Superman, just that I'm some guy who kind of looks like him."

She hums. "I suppose, and with the way you carry yourself like a giant weakling-" She ignores his protest. "No one really does suspect you when they meet you… Alright, come along. I have breakfast ready."

With a nod from Clark they both make their way toward the house. He sets the box down along with the others in the _nihonma_ , the lone Japanese-style room in the house. She leads him to the kitchen where, thankfully for him, there's a western-style table and chairs. She motions for him to sit before he even thinks of offering to help.

From his seat Clark tentatively looks toward Chiyome as she sets the table. "Chiyome do you-"

"I am fine, Clark."

He starts to fidget as she stands before the counter while placing eggs, ham, and toast on two plates. "You don't need-"

"No, Clark."

Clark is nothing if not determined. "At least let me get the juice."

She hides her smile behind a good-natured sigh. "If you are that insistent then feel free. I would like orange juice please."

"Got it."

"Would you like for me to make coffee as well?"

"No thanks, pregnant women shouldn't drink more than 200 mgs of caffeine per day."

She raises an eyebrow. "I meant for you."

"Oh, yeah sure some coffee would be great, but I insist on making it myself. You go ahead and sit down."

"Of course, Clark."

With the table set and food on their plates they chat about mundane topics, of Chiyome's new job as translator working from home, and of Clark's job at the Daily Planet. He makes the mistake of mentioning Lois, and Chiyome teases him mercilessly for having a crush on her. She manages to give him sound advice once she stops laughing though. Clark briefly wonders if this was what having a sister was like. Soon they finish eating and Chiyome clears the table before Clark insists on helping to wash the dishes.

Afterward Chiyome and Clark move to the nihonma. She motions toward a cabinet where the _zabuton_ are located and Clark pulls out two of the plush cushions for them to sit on atop on the straw mat flooring, the _tatami_. They start to empty the boxes, or at least Clark does, he actually has the gall to refuse to let Chiyome help.

Their conversation continues to flow well enough and soon they get to the topic of her late husband's family.

She looks somewhat conflicted, her hands hold onto her crossed ankles. Clark wants to backtrack, but she begins to talk.

"I told you of how my husband was raised by Masuyo with the help of her sister Bunko. Ms. Bunko herself was adopted into the Satou family by their late father Masanori."

That gets her a suspicious cough. _Model of justice?_ With a pointed look Clark has the nerve to look sheepish. "Sorry, please continue."

"As for Ms. Bunko, she came from- elsewhere." He raises a brow, she pointedly ignores it. "He was raised alongside Bunko's daughter Haruka, and later her son Akihiko as well. The three were raised as siblings and got along fairly well, as well as an older brother gets along with his younger siblings."

"A daughter named for spring and a son named for autumn? Ms. Bunko must be a fan of seasons."

She smiles. "Yes, and Haruka continued the tradition. She married a man named Natsuo Ito."

"Ha! A man named for summer, all she needs is a child named for winter!"

Chiyome starts to laugh and Clark feels triumphant. "Yes, she plans that for her second child. Her first child is named after Akihiko, as a show of faith…" She starts to quiet.

"Huh?"

She tries to backtrack. "Akihiko had to go live with their father, Ms. Bunko's ex-husband, when he was six and he was only able to visit during the summers up until he was 10-years-old. After that if they wanted to contact Akihiko they had to visit him themselves and continue through paper correspondence. With Akihiko gone, Masa and Haruka continued their day to day lives. Eventually Masa unlocked his metahuman abilities, later making his way to Kyoto when his mother told him that that was where his father was originally from. It was while Masa was walking through Kasagiyama Prefectural Natural Park that we met…" Her eyes become distant and Clark gives her a moment before he clears his throat.

"Yes… It was different meeting someone like myself," she vaguely sweeps a hand over her appearance, "and yet we were so different. I can control my abilities, can turn them off at will. Masa… Masa was stuck as he was, but he did not let that dictate his life, and I did not love him less for it."

Clark's thoughts went back to the image of the opposing man. His stark white skin had been so similar to Byakko's, but truthfully that was where their similarities ended. Gunshin's piercing red eyes, dark lacquered hair, and imposing nature was a huge contrast to Byakko's other features and her tranquil fury.

"After courting for two years, Masa and I were married and we moved permanently into this house, but making sure to visit Kyoto every year. Three years later, we lost Masuyo, and Masa was distraught… and you know how that went Clark."

He does, and he knows how much it still hurts her. Unfortunately there isn't much else Clark can do besides offering her his support, so he quietly leaves her to her thoughts as he continues to unpack and place items in their respective locations, or wherever Chiyome instructs him. Chiyome finally breaks her self-imposed silence as he finishes up.

"I am thankful that they kept our house in order while Gun- while Masa and I were in Tokyo. I am also thankful that Haruka continued to call out to me and insisted that I come home, you as well Choujin, _thank you_."

He doesn't comment on her slip, noting that she has been getting better at closing that chapter of her life. Clark also thinks that she is thanking him for something more, but he still manages to smile. "I have to look out for my Godchild and their mom, right?"

She cracks a wry grin. "Of course, and hopefully I can raise my child under a semblance of normalcy."

He looks out the window at the back of the other empty house on the compound, the Ito household. "Where are they?"

Her smile becomes almost cryptic. "They're visiting Akihiko at his home, in a rather large village toward the north almost hidden in the leaves."


End file.
